"The Secret Place" (draft 7)

(draft 7)

Today a familiar phrase comes to mind that all parents have heard..."Are we there yet?" And this is the challenge when working on large pieces. It is a long process. By tomorrow all of the pieces will be in their places.

It is very important as you work through the process of creating a piece of art to keep an open mind about letting the piece evolve naturally. Don't feel compelled to include an element just because you like it. If it's not the right thing for the piece, it really is best to leave it out. Forcing something to be included will cause the piece to look contrived.

The reason I know that is because I've created my share of contrived work and it is not a pleasant experience to realize it after the fact. Having said all of that, I wanted desperately to include a piece of kiln formed glass, but it really isn't going to work for this piece. Fortunately, I have the good sense to realize that. It's a good thing!

You can see that I have inched my way upwards with some more pieces. So far, I am pleased. Not all of the pieces are adhered yet, so I still might do some moving around. I really didn't notice until I saw the image on the computer. So taking photos of your work in process is a very effective way of seeing what you might not see while you're working. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"In or Out" ($60.00)

(adjusted price.....$60.00......mounted on a 1.50" depth clayboard)


"Editing is the process of deciding what's in and what's out." Every artist is an editor and must decide what design elements are in or out. Actually, everyone is an editor of their own lives as well. We each decide what thoughts are in or out. Enjoy your life by being a good editor.

You may be wondering why I painted a light fixture in this piece. It represents the big moment in art or in life when there is a paradigm shift that often results from good editing. In artwork, it is that awesome moment when nothing needs to be added or taken away. In real life, it is allowing the right thoughts to occupy your mind and disallowing the negative ones to dominate.

So I definitely wanted to use a random application of gesso to create light filled shapes in the background. The band of black gesso on the right grounds the piece. You are able to see clearly how a dilute application of acrylic in Green Gold and Cobalt Turquoise (Golden Fluid Acrylics) reacts when painted over the gesso and the more saturated areas where the paint hits unprimed paper. It is important not to keep "fussing" with a piece until it's ruined. Let the process and materials do the work. Observe why something turned out the way it did so you can repeat it again. Acute observation is essential to the editing processl So turn the light on by becoming a good editor. Just something to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Drawing" ($30.00)

(adjusted price.....$30.00)

Even if you don't consider yourself an artist, you might be surprised if you simply picked up a pencil and paper. Just look at an object and act as though you are tracing it. I've never experienced an activity that shoves me to the right side of my brain more completely. So next time you feel "blocked" creatively, just start drawing!

There are many types of drawing. Some drawings are perfectly rendered and require much time and effort. There is another type of drawing that is done quickly with gestural strokes and not lifting your pencil or charcoal from the paper. The type of drawing I prefer to do is probably more in the realm of sketching. It is extremely edited and even plays around a bit with distortion.

In this piece, my reference photo was an antique store in a small Texas town. If your eyes were closed for more than 10 seconds, you would miss seeing the town entirely! Just looking at the photo and thinking about drawing it made me tired. There was an overwhelming amount of detail. So I decided to do what Alan Cober does when he draws. (One of my favorite illustrators.) He just omits the things he doesn't want to draw. What a concept! It's called editing. We can all forget that we are the artist and we can choose what to include. The "drawing police" will not give us a citation if we fail to include every detail, for heaven's sake! And if the drawing isn't perfect...that's even better.

It becomes even more expressive if you draw on an abstract background or a few smudges on the paper. This whole expressive process becomes even more addictive when you create your drawing with a pointed pen and play with the quality of the lines. That's exactly what I did in this piece and it was completely satisfying. I even created the lettering with a very "nonchalant" attitude. Sometimes, perfect lettering has to go! You will know when you're through as soon as the drawing is convincing. (You can tell what it represents.)

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"A Long Stem Rose" ($40.00)

(adjusted price.....$40.00)

Fellowship is defined as companionship or sharing as well as having a common interest. Having fellowship with a friend is like receiving a long stem rose. Especially wonderful is having a friend who is a soul mate and seems to be traveling the same road. That, my friend, is a treasure!

Maintaining the viewer's interest in a piece without going into visual overload is a delicate balancing act. If there are too few design elements, boredom sets in. On the other hand, if there are too many elements, confusion and a sense of chaos occurs.

The "g" in the background is a case in point. I think it works because it was created while the paste was wet and is completed "wedded" to the background. If the "g" had been written after the fact, it would have appeared contrived and out of place. It also provided some curved lines to contrast with the straight verticals. The rose also provided curves as well as a color contrast.

Once again, the initial process of creating spontaneous texture has to do with the technique chosen. Trying to do it directly with everything figured out in advance is not the best way to achieve spontaneity. Monoprinting, enlarging an image so much that it becomes unrecognizable, and cropping are other options besides paste paper. This is a perfect day to try your hand at spontaneous texture. Keep it as unplanned and fun as possible.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.